It’s not technically Week 8 yet; the Emirates NBA Cup will be running through this week and concluding on Tuesday, December 17th in Week 8. In the meantime, we’ll take a look at a shorter Week 7.5, of which some teams will only play one game.
Since last week, things haven’t gone much better for the bottom feeders in either conference. The 3-19 Wizards have just one win in their last 10 games, while the Jazz and Pelicans are tied for last in the West, with just five wins apiece. It’s been a true nightmare season for New Orleans, who presumably had playoff aspirations at the beginning of the season with such a strong roster, but they’ve been rendered useless by injuries, much like the Memphis Grizzlies of last season.
The Thunder still sit atop the West, with the Grizzlies, Rockets, and Mavericks trailing closely behind. In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers still hold a 1.5 game advantage over the second seed Celtics, with the Magic and Knicks trailing behind. I don’t anticipate the Magic staying in this spot for much longer; a brutal oblique injury to Franz Wagner will leave them shorthanded and in certain free fall. Good thing you don’t need to worry about the same fate. We’ve got you covered here at DK Network.
We’re shooting the Three Lists of Threes today for your weekly dose of fantasy tips: Buy-lows, sell-highs, and streams.
Here are some buy-lows we can consider.
Buy ’em
LaMelo Ball, PG, Charlotte Hornets
Ball is the only Hornets player to ever receive a max extension, and it’s not tough to see why. He’s averaging a career-high 31.1 PPG along with 5.4 RPG and 6.9 APG. This season he’s been letting it fly, leading the league with 24.9 FGA and a monstrous 39.9% usage rate. The 23 year old, if healthy, certainly looked to be All-NBA bound. He’ll be re-evaluated in about a week with a left calf strain. Now’s a good time to send out some offers for the young superstar point guard to managers who are skeptical about his health, and rightfully so. Ball’s eclipsed 51 games just once in his four-year NBA career.
LeBron James, SF/PF, Los Angeles Lakers
Are we finally starting to see the decline? As in, a more drastic decline? James’ production on the court has been slowly tapering off as he ages, but it’s clear that he can still lock in and look like the best player in the world. We saw this over the Olympics and the beginning of the season, but James has slowed down a bit over the past two weeks. He’s still averaging a gaudy 23 PPG, 8 RPG, and 9.1 APG on the season – stats most players could only dream of – but this is disappointing for a player of his caliber and stature.
Trae Young, PG, Atlanta Hawks
Young’s production has not gone in the direction many had anticipated. He’s averaging only 20.9 PPG, the lowest since his rookie year. His usage has dropped to a career-low 26.9%, down from 30.5% last season. He’s shooting poorly as well, hitting 31% from three point distance and 38.5% from the field. He’s instead tapped into his playmaking chops, leading the league with 12.2 APG and orchestrating his Hawks to the 7th seed in the East with a 13-12 record. I’m bullish on Young’s scoring coming back. His shooting has been so off that I wonder if he’s dealing with some sort of injury. Regardless, this is Young’s absolute floor, and I’d be very curious to see what he looks like at his peak for this season.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (NYK @ TOR).
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information
